The work, published today (Sept. 11) in The New England Journal of Medicine, marks the first time this particular gene-editing tool has been used in an experimental HIV therapy, according to the authors, from Peking University in Beijing.

Even though the treatment didn't control the patient's HIV infection, the therapy appeared safe — the researchers did not detect any unintended genetic alterations, which have been a concern in the past with gene therapies.

...

https://www.livescience.com/crispr-hiv-treatement.html
]]>Jovialishttps://www.eupedia.com/forum/threads/39221-Chinese-scientists-attempt-to-cure-HIV-with-CRISPR-gene-editingExtreme Inbreeding in the UK Biobankhttps://www.eupedia.com/forum/threads/39179-Extreme-Inbreeding-in-the-UK-Biobank?goto=newpost
Thu, 05 Sep 2019 16:08:39 GMTThat's parent/child, full sibling, grandparent/grandchild, and uncle/niece level. As we didn't need to be told, it's extremely bad for the offspring.

"In most human societies, there are taboos and laws banning mating between first- and second-degree relatives, but actual prevalence and effects on health and fitness are poorly quantified. Here, we leverage a large observational study of ~450,000 participants of European ancestry from the UK Biobank (UKB) to quantify extreme inbreeding (EI) and its consequences. We use genotyped SNPs to detect large runs of homozygosity (ROH) and call EI when >10% of an individual’s genome comprise ROHs. We estimate a prevalence of EI of ~0.03%, i.e., ~1/3652. EI cases have phenotypic means between 0.3 and 0.7 standard deviation below the population mean for 7 traits, including stature and cognitive ability, consistent with inbreeding depression estimated from individuals with low levels of inbreeding. Our study provides DNA-based quantification of the prevalence of EI in a European ancestry sample from the UK and measures its effects on health and fitness traits."

The numbers are very low, thank goodness, although I do think the actual numbers might be a bit higher. This is an upper economic group we're talking about and probably these children were adopted and had/have no idea of the circumstances of their conception, while the available data says that it is more present at lower quintiles.

When we're talking about parent/child, especially, it's really disgusting and is no doubt child abuse on the part of the biological father.

Uncle/niece marriage is still permitted in the Near East I think, and repeated first cousin marriage over hundreds of years could bring the inbreeding co-efficient up to this level. Not a good idea, imo.

"The team found people there were a host of negative health effects associated with extreme inbreeding. They had a shorter stature, reduced cognitive ability and lower fertility. They also had reduced lung function and, overall, appeared to have a 44 percent increased risk of disease of any kind, in comparison to the general population."

"Researchers said there are a number of limitations to their study. Generally, people who submitted their genetic information to the biobank were healthier than average and have a higher level of education: "Highly inbred individuals who suffer severe health consequences may be less likely to participate in a study such as the U.K. Biobank," the authors said in a statement. "Therefore, our estimate of the prevalence might be too low."

"They found the prevalence of extreme inbreeding was one in 3,652 participants. Estimates for extreme inbreeding in England and Wales—gathered through police reports of incest offences—is one in 5,247."

So, as one would expect, it's not always reported. Plus, not all child sexual abuse by a relative doesn't always result in offspring.

"Twin and family studies have shown that same-sex sexual behavior is partly geneticallyinfluenced, but previous searches for specific genes involved have been underpowered. Weperformed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on 477,522 individuals, revealingfive loci significantly associated with same-sex sexual behavior. In aggregate, all testedgenetic variants accounted for 8 to 25% of variation in same-sex sexual behavior, onlypartially overlapped between males and females, and do not allow meaningful prediction ofan individual’s sexual behavior. Comparing these GWAS results with those for theproportion of same-sex to total number of sexual partners among nonheterosexualssuggests that there is no single continuum from opposite-sex to same-sex sexual behavior.Overall, our findings provide insights into the genetics underlying same-sex sexualbehavior and underscore the complexity of sexuality."

"In the UK Biobank sample, 4.1% of males and2.8% of females reported ever having had sexwith someone of the same sex (tables S1 and S2),with higher rates among younger participants(Fig. 1A)."

I would be more convinced if the question was are you exclusively homosexual.

"The discrepancy between the variance captured by the significant SNPsand all common SNPs suggests that same-sexsexual behavior, like most complex human traits,is influenced by the small, additive effects ofvery many genetic variants, most of which cannot be detected at the current sample size."

So, how do they know they have them all?

"Here, we highlightfindings relating to the two SNPs associatedwith male same-sex sexual behavior: rs34730029and rs28371400. First, the locus encompassingrs34730029-11q12.1 contains a number of olfactory receptor genes (several of which were significantly associated with same-sex sexual behaviorin a gene-based test) (fig. S6 and table S18). ThisSNP is correlated [linkage disequilibrium, coefficient of determination (R2) = 0.70] with amissense variant (rs6591536) in OR5A1 that hasbeen reported to have a substantial effect onthe sensitivity to certain scents (30). Second,rs28371400-15q21.3 had several indications ofbeing involved in sex hormone regulation: Theallele positively associated with same-sex sexualbehavior is associated with higher rate of malepattern balding [in which sex-hormone sensitivity is implicated (31)] and is located ~20 kbupstream of the TCF12 gene. TCF12 is the primary heterodimerization partner for TCF21, atranscription factor essential for normal development of the gonads in mice (32), and is involved inthe downstream actions of the SRY gene (which isresponsible for the initiation of male sex determination) in humans (33)."
]]>Angelahttps://www.eupedia.com/forum/threads/39154-Genes-and-same-sex-behaviorPsychiatric disorders and myelin thinning geneshttps://www.eupedia.com/forum/threads/39149-Psychiatric-disorders-and-myelin-thinning-genes?goto=newpost
Thu, 29 Aug 2019 14:43:28 GMTSee:https://www.technologynetworks.com/n...sSa6oI.twitter

"Scientists have identified a specific gene they believe could be a key player in the changes in brain structure seen in several psychiatric conditions, such as schizophrenia and autism.

The team from Cardiff University's Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute has found that the deletion of the gene CYFIP1 leads to thinning of the insulation that covers nerve cells and is vital for the smooth and rapid communications between different parts of the brain.

The new findings, published in the journal Nature Communications and highlighted in the journal Nature Reviews Neuroscience, throws new light on the potential cause of psychiatric conditions and could ultimately point to new and more effective therapies."
]]>Angelahttps://www.eupedia.com/forum/threads/39149-Psychiatric-disorders-and-myelin-thinning-genesDementia-Can you modify your risk?https://www.eupedia.com/forum/threads/39139-Dementia-Can-you-modify-your-risk?goto=newpost
Wed, 28 Aug 2019 13:32:41 GMTGood news: yes.

Bad news: only if you have low or moderate genetic risk for it; not if you have high genetic risk for it.

"The exact etiology of dementia is still unclear, but both genetic and lifestyle factors are thought to be key drivers of this complex disease. The recognition of familial patterns of dementia has led to the discovery of genetic factors that have a role in the pathogenesis of dementia, including the apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype and a large and still-growing number of genetic variants1,2. Beyond genetic architecture, several modifiable risk factors have been implicated in the development of dementia3. Prevention trials of measures to halt or delay cognitive decline are increasingly recruiting older individuals who are genetically predisposed to dementia. However, it remains unclear whether targeted health and lifestyle interventions can attenuate or even offset increased genetic risk. Here, we leverage long-term data on both genetic and modifiable risk factors from 6,352 individuals aged 55 years and older in the population-based Rotterdam Study. In this study, we demonstrate that, in individuals at low and intermediate genetic risk, favorable modifiable-risk profiles are related to a lower risk of dementia compared to unfavorable profiles. In contrast, these protective associations were not found in those at high genetic risk."
]]>Angelahttps://www.eupedia.com/forum/threads/39139-Dementia-Can-you-modify-your-riskPost your Worrier Versus Warrior results from yourdnaportal.comhttps://www.eupedia.com/forum/threads/39113-Post-your-Worrier-Versus-Warrior-results-from-yourdnaportal-com?goto=newpost
Sat, 24 Aug 2019 16:23:12 GMT

Worrier Versus WarriorPeople with your genotype fall into the "worrier" category, which is an advantage in memory and attention tasks
"The Warrior gene" versus the "Worrier gene". (AA)(worrier) confers advantage in memory and attention tasks

"Many people have long believed that there is a connection between mental health and the immune system, but we’ve known very little about what the relevant biological mechanisms might be.“Most people have had the sense of this connection, but as doctors, we haven’t quite kept up,” says Associate Professor Solveig Merete Klæbo Reitan at NTNU’s Department of Mental Health.So the field has been left to alternative therapists instead. But that is changing."

"The cells of the immune system communicate using signal molecules called cytokines. The cells of the nervous system send signals by means of signal molecules called neurotransmitters."

"“Both of these cells are small molecules that have the same type of structure andconfiguration,” says Klæbo Reitan. “The distinction between them is something human beings have invented. We’re not talking about two different systems. Now it’s become clear that the signal molecules in the immune system also transmit to the nervous system and vice versa."

"“We know that people with mental disorders are also more susceptible to various inflammations in the body and to immune system disorders. This indicates that an interaction exists,” says Klæbo Reitan.The opposite applies too, of course. We also know that people who have been subjected to neglect or childhood abuse are more susceptible to various diseases of the immune system.That’s why people with psychosis should be given prednisolone – a steroid drug that can curb inflammation – to see if the treatment can have a beneficial effect on mental health."
]]>Angelahttps://www.eupedia.com/forum/threads/39105-Immune-System-and-Mental-Health-are-connectedGene for finding things cutehttps://www.eupedia.com/forum/threads/39051-Gene-for-finding-things-cute?goto=newpost
Tue, 13 Aug 2019 10:14:14 GMTI noticed that some people, mostly men, do not have strong emotions about cute things, such as a cute cow or fluffy cat, and I was wondering if there are some genes associated with increased sensitivity to cute animals, people, or objects? I love cute stuff so I was wondering if it's written in my very DNA!
:weird_smile:
]]>Mirhttps://www.eupedia.com/forum/threads/39051-Gene-for-finding-things-cute